Empty Space
by trishtumbles
Summary: "Take a look at me now; I'm just an empty space. There's nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face." Entry for 2014 Castle ficathon
1. Chapter 1

**Empty Space**

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This is first multi-chapter fanfic and entry for the 2014 ficathon.

All mistakes are mine but the characters are not.

Many thanks to honeyandvodka for the beta and gorgeous cover art.

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The day dawns bright, summer sun streaming through the windows of the loft. Kate Beckett groans as she leans over to the bedside table to switch the alarm off on her iPhone. She lays back down, taking a few extra moments to snuggle against her still-sleeping partner, enjoying his warmth whilst beginning to mentally organize the day ahead.

She feels Castle begin to stir beside her. He squints at Beckett as he opens his eyes and props himself up on one elbow and mumbles, "Wha' time is it? Can't be morn'g already?"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Castle, but its seven am and you have a busy day planned with a bunch of other authors and a few hundred especially generous and dedicated fans on a charity cruise around Ellis Island."

Now it's Castle's turn to groan. "Is that today?"

Beckett nods.

"I don't suppose I can convince you to go back to sleep with me? I'm sure they won't miss me if I'm a little bit late." He looks up at Beckett and raises an eyebrow. "And I'll be sure to make it worth your while."

"As much as I'd truly love that, I have an equally busy day ahead. I need to attend court for the Walters' trial," Beckett replies. "So how did you wind up getting roped into attending this charity cruise anyway?"

"It's something that Patterson has been organizing on behalf of his charity, the 'National Literacy Trust'. Get a bunch of well-known authors, throw them on a catamaran cruising around Ellis Island with a bunch of people willing to make a rather large donation for the cause. Something to do with literacy and cultural diversity, what with Ellis Island being the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. Sounded like a good cause and Paula was keen for me to be a part of it as it's sure to get lots of media attention."

"Okay, so in order for you to go and raise tons of money and stay in both Patterson's and Paula's good books you need to get up. And besides, it looks like it will be a beautiful day to be out on the water. "

Castle doesn't budge. "But Kate, why would I even want to get out of bed when I already have the most beautiful person on earth laying here beside me?"

Kate stifles her laugh at the cheesiness of her fiancé but is unable to stop her eyes from rolling.

"Although, upon contemplation, I do think you'd look incredibly hot in nautical wear," Castle continues.

"Mmm… Now, that's a mental image that might just help me survive the courtroom today… You in your short shorts." Kate muses.

"Haha, no. I'm not wearing them. Could you imagine what some of the fans would do to me if I turned up in shorts? All the groping, all the pinching… And the inappropriate photographs?" Castle shudders. "No, I'll just be wearing jeans with a nice shirt and jacket today. Layers, thank you." At that, Kate is unable to contain her laughter.

"Believe me Castle, I would much rather be out on the water, sipping champagne with you, rather than stuck in a courtroom all day. I mean, I can't even text you unless I have a break… But I guess I'm glad that there will finally be some closure for this case".

"So this is the case about the young guy who murdered his girlfriend?"

"Yes, James Walters. He's just turned eighteen. He thought that his girlfriend Sarah was cheating on him so he confronted her. When she wouldn't confess to having an affair he killed her. The worst part is that Sarah wasn't having an affair. The reason that she'd been a little sneaky was that she was trying to arrange a surprise party for James' eighteenth birthday. It's really pretty tragic. They were both so young and had their whole lives ahead of them."

"And he confessed. So it's open and shut. So how come there's a trial?"

"Because the family has managed to hire some expert witness who claims that because of James' age and the volatile nature of his upbringing, coupled with Sarah not being entirely honest with him at the time of the murder that he shouldn't be held responsible." Beckett shakes her head, "I mean, I get it. If I was James' parent I'd want to do anything I could to keep him out of jail. But the cop in me knows that he needs to take responsibility for his actions. He committed a very serious crime and needs to be held accountable for that. And Sarah's parents deserve justice and closure. From all accounts she was a very sweet and loving girl."

Kate stands up, reaching forward and clasps onto Castle's hand in order to pull him out of bed.

"So come on, let's not put this off any longer."

Castle groans but allows himself to be propelled out of bed. "Okay," he concedes, "I guess I'll just have to go be a social butterfly for a while. It might not be so bad.

Seeing Castle's grimace Kate laughs, "I'm sure it will be terrible to have hordes of women fawning all over you." She turns serious. "But no signing any chests… We've talked about that. And remember who you're coming home to so you don't end up in any trouble"

"You have nothing to worry about Kate. Besides, what could possibly go wrong on a catamaran on the Hudson?"

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All reviews are much appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to everyone for the great response I've received to the story so far.

All mistakes are mine but the characters are not.

Many thanks to honeyandvodka for the beta and gorgeous cover art.

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The music is pumping as the limousine with Castle inside pulls up to the pier where the catamaran is berthed. He rolls the window down slightly so he can survey the scene before being thrown amongst it. A red carpet is rolled down the deck and a section of the dock has been cordoned off for VIP access. It looks like the event coordinators have spared no expense to make this event a success.

And they couldn't have paid the weather to put on a better show either. The skies are a beautiful bright azure blue, dotted every so often with wispy white clouds. The sun is shining, and even sitting inside the limousine, Castle can feel its warmth. There is slight breeze which makes the sunlight hitting the water look like twinkling stars. It is definitely a perfect day to be out on the water.

The catamaran looks impressive sitting in the dock. Not one of the standard recreational catamarans; this luxury model is equipped to carry several hundred people in comfort, or so he had been assured by Paula.

Paparazzi and official photographers alike are jostling for a good vantage point between the gathering crowds, awaiting the more prominent arrivals.

Castle remembers to slide his sunglasses down over his eyes before exiting the vehicle, not only to protect his eyes from the bright sunlight, but to lessen the glare of the repeated flash bulbs going off in the crowd.

Surveying the group gathering to one side, waiting to board the vessel, Castle smiles wryly. Unlike his usual crowd of bimbettes and celebutantes there is a more mature mix of guests – both women and men. He's impressed… Maybe they'll even have a larger vocabulary than "I'm your biggest fan?", "Where do you get your ideas?" and "Will you sign my chest?" Maybe, just maybe, this won't even be that painful to get through. And of course, this will make it all the easier to honor his agreement with Kate. Not that it really needed to be said. His days of chest signings are long gone.

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Castle is seated at a table with another author and a group of high-end donors for the meal. The group are a jovial bunch, quite content to make small talk and not ask too many questions from the celebrities sitting amongst them. He enjoys a bit of banter back and forth with the group whilst they dine on a sumptuous meal of fresh seafood; the event coordinators are obviously tying the menu in with the nautical theme. The wait service is good and the drinks are flowing. It is actually quite pleasant and Castle starts to relax. He thinks that he must tell Paula to get the contact details in case they ever decide to host one of these things themselves.

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The speeches roll on and on. Castle soon learns, no matter the age or intelligence of the guests or the emphatic passion with which the presenters talk about their topic of choice, that most of the speeches are still droll. Castle looks around the room. Clearly, by this point of the afternoon, most of the guests are slightly inebriated, making the formalities all the more palatable.

He looks at his watch, noting with relief that the speeches should be winding up shortly. He wonders briefly how Kate is going at the courthouse. It was such a sad and senseless crime… And yet again, another reason to support better gun controls. He resists checking his phone to see if he's received a message from Beckett. It's one thing to realize that he'd much rather be at the precinct working a case (or anywhere else with Beckett for that matter), but another thing entirely to look like one of those guys who can't survive a few hours without their partner in tow.

Castle hears a round of applause and people starting to stir. He realizes that the speeches have concluded whilst he was lost in thought. He stands up to stretch his legs and almost runs straight into James Patterson who has obviously come looking for him.

"Rick Castle; I can't believe I've finally been able to convince you to attend one of these shindigs!" Patterson exclaims.

"Yeah well, it seems like a great cause. And of course, Paula was keen for me to attend, raise my profile a bit."

"I'm actually surprised to see you here flying solo. Reports have it that you have a very nice piece of arm candy now." Patterson teases.

"You've met my partner and fiancé Kate. She's in court today." Castle replies with a smile. "Surely old age hasn't claimed your memory yet?"

"So have you got anything new coming out soon, or are you still playing cop? One book per year does not a writer make, you know!"

Castle is about to retort when Patterson is approached by one of the waiters. He looks at Rick in silent apology and allows himself to be led away from Castle.

Castle takes the opportunity to go outside and catch a breath of fresh air. He climbs up to the top deck, looking out at the spectacular view. He rests, his forearms leaning against the guard rail and lets the wind whip through his hair as he takes a bit of respite from the bustle and noise below.

Suddenly there is a loud bang - like an explosion. He can hear screaming and a large commotion from the dining hall beneath him. Castle feels the catamaran start to list to one side. He tries to grab hold of something but he feels like he's being yanked sideways, his feet coming out from under him. He has a moment of panic where he's not sure if he's going to fall into the water and then everything just fades to black.

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All reviews are much appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Apologies for the delay with this chapter.

All mistakes are mine but the characters are not.

Once again, many thanks to honeyandvodka for the beta and gorgeous cover art.

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Kate Beckett checks her watch for what feels like the fiftieth time today. Attending court has to be the one thing that she despises most about her job, apart from the actual crime itself. Confined within the four walls of the courtroom, with its artificial lighting, fluctuating air-conditioning and a dubious judicial system where it's sometimes hard to gauge which side are telling the bigger lies; it all just makes her anxious to get back to her real job - in the precinct or out on the streets.

The irony is not lost on Beckett of course. Every time she steps into a courtroom she's reminded that had it not been for a twist of fate, she may have spent the majority of her adult life just like this, pursuing a legal career just like her mom. Instead of defending the sometimes indefensible, coating every syllable in legal jargon, Kate's proud she chose to fight for justice by solving murders and holding those responsible to account instead.

Listening to the "expert" testimony drone on and on it occurs to Beckett that if Castle were here, he would be sure to comment on the demise of society; how everyone has lost their own sense of personal responsibility. The theme of today seems to be that the teenager is not at fault because of his volatile upbringing and questionable mental health. That the parents are not at fault for placing a loaded gun in the house where their teen had access to it. That the victim should bear some responsibility because she had the audacity to plan a surprise for her boyfriend. That with enough money there is always someone willing to "prove" that there is another reason the crime was committed other than the perpetrator's poor choices.

Thinking of Castle brings Kate's thoughts to where he is now. Never one to let a good opportunity go to waste, he's probably having a great time rubbing shoulders and having his ego stroked with the rich and famous. He's probably swilling champagne and swapping outrageous and increasingly inventive stories, enjoying the sunshine, good food and the beautiful watercraft. She checks her watch again, trying to calculate how much longer until court is in recess and she can call him to see how he is going. Not long now.

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Kate exits the court room; phone in hand, ready to make the most of her break. So focused on her task, she nearly runs straight into Esposito and Ryan waiting out the front of the courtroom lifting her gaze from the cell in surprise.

"Hey guys, did you catch a lead on the Trollbridge homicide?"

Ryan rocks back and forth on the balls of feet, looking uncomfortable. He looks to Esposito to take point.

"No. No, we didn't…"

"What do you need then?"

"I don't quite know how to say this…"

"Well just spit it out, Espo. There's only a short recess, and I want to touch base with Castle, too."

"Ummm… It's actually about Castle. There's been an incident with the catamaran that Castle was on this afternoon."

Kate smiles. "Nope, I'm not falling for it... Did Castle put you up to this? Tell him that it was a good try though."

"I don't think you understand. There was an explosion on board. "

"Come on, I understand perfectly. I know Castle's been itching to pay me back ever since his birthday surprise... And we were just joking about what could possibly go wrong this morning. Nope, Castle's staged this whole elaborate charade. What does he want me to do? Go join him on the Hudson? Doesn't he know how much trouble I'll get in if I leave court for a hoax?"

Esposito shakes his head. "Beckett - Kate. It's all over the news. It happened just as they were passing Liberty Island. People are in the hospital. Patterson is injured. There is no way that Castle would organize something that would put people in the hospital; and especially not his friends. I need for you to understand that this is not a hoax."

Kate looks back at Ryan, only to find sympathy reflected back at her and her heart pounds in her chest as she understands; this is real, and she needs to listen.

"So is Castle injured?"

"When the EMS crew reached the catamaran there was no sign of Castle."

The last of the smile falls from Kate's face. "What?"

"There is a witness who places Castle on the top deck when the explosion occurred. They think it's possible that the force of the explosion may have propelled him into the water. "

Kate looks at Ryan; there are more questions than answers, and she needs to know _now_. "So what does that mean? Where the hell is he?"

"We don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? He's not exactly small. He can't just disappear into thin air now can he?"

Esposito winces, and the look in his eyes strikes fear in Kate's heart. She feels her head start to spin and the floor begin to shift beneath her feet. As he begins to speak, it's all she can do to find the nearest trashcan to empty the paltry contents of her stomach.

"The EMS are arranging for divers to scour the river. With no visible signs and the level of pollution in the water they've stated that if Castle did fall into the river and hasn't made it out yet that it will almost certainly be a recovery and not a rescue situation."

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Kate walks into Captain Gate's office, her gait still a bit unsteady. "Sir?"

"Beckett, take a seat." Gates gestures to the chair in front of her.

"If it's okay, I'd rather stand."

Gates shrugs. "Okay. I've just received word from the EMS. They've finished their search of the river and it has come up empty. Richard Castle has officially been listed as missing."

Beckett nods. She had been bracing herself for worse news, and the word _missing_ is almost a relief. "Thanks for letting me know."

"Beckett, even though he was at a personal function and I'd be loath to admit it to him, I think of Castle as one of our own. I've already contacted the Captain at the New Jersey Police Department and he has agreed to working closely with us. I've offered the NJPD any resources that they may require. Feel free to take the day. Or take a few days, if you need."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Gates stares over her glasses at Beckett. "I have to say, I really didn't expect you to be this calm."

"Castle needs me to remain calm so that I can figure out what's going on and bring him home."

"You seem so sure of that?"

"I am. With every fiber of my being. You know how over the years I've come to trust Castle's crazy theories? Well he's also taught me to trust my gut. I don't know how I know, but I do. He's still alive… And I'll find him… I will. "

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As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

All mistakes are mine but the characters are not.

Once again, many thanks to honeyandvodka for the beta and gorgeous cover art. 

* * *

Richard Castle awakens slowly. Fuzzy from sleep, he is content to just lay there, eyes shut, while he comes to full consciousness.

As he begins to wake up further he notices that there is a dull ache in his head and a crick in his neck. Blaming his pain on sleeping at an odd angle, Castle sits up and tries to stretch the kinks out of his neck and shoulders, but is stopped by something attached to his wrist. Things aren't really making sense to him but his brain seems incapable of putting all the pieces together in a coherent order.

He finally opens his eyes. And he can't see a thing. Nothing. It is entirely dark, an all-encompassing blackness. Thinking that something must be wrong with his eyes he blinks, once, twice, to no avail. He lifts his hand up to rub at his eyes and as he does so he realizes that the thing connected to his wrist is still there. He seems to only be able to concentrate on one thing at a time, and at the present moment, even that seems to be too hard.

He reaches over with his other hand to explore his bound wrist. He can feel a smooth plastic band encasing his wrist. There's a nub on the end with something sharp in the middle of it which feels like a smaller piece of plastic. He tries to insert his finger under the band to tug at it but the plastic holds fast. Slower this time, he runs his fingers around the band again and this time finds what his brain seems to think is a chain connected to it. He can feel that there are links joined together which are cold to the touch – so made out of some kind of metal perhaps? The neurons in his brain now seem to be moving a bit faster, but maybe that's just panic beginning to set in. He takes a deep breath. There is slack in the chain and he decides to feel his way around to see what range of movement he has, and at the same time, try to work out where the hell he is…

And how to get out.

The springs on the old bed squeak as he lifts himself off the mattress and onto his feet. His knee groans but mercifully doesn't pop. He questions why it took him so long he realize that the bed was not his? Even in the dark he can now tell that it is higher from the ground than his own. It certainly isn't as large as he's used to, it hasn't got a top of the line chiropractic mattress with 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets like he's accustomed to – and more often than not he wakes up with Kate is lying beside him. That's definitely not the case with this bed.

He takes a step forward and feels that there is a worn rug or piece of carpet covering uneven ground. He is careful to test his footing with each step, arms stretched out in front of him and manages to take another three steps forward before coming into contact with a wall. He can feel the smooth cool stones of a cobblestone wall under his fingers and Castle runs his hands along the wall, walking with more confidence until he stumbles upon what is unmistakably a latrine. He wrinkles up his nose at the smell but not a second later appreciates its location. His bladder is full and he really, really needs to go.

Castle reaches down to unbuckle his jeans and he discovers that they are damp. He runs his fingers across the pockets as everything comes crashing back to him. The catamaran. The Hudson. The explosion. The feeling of falling into nothingness.

Holy Shit. 

* * *

Castle has changed out of his damp jeans and into a pair of sweats that he discovered the second time he searched what he has now come to think of as his cell. He's now sitting on the bed, wrapped in a blanket to stave off the cold, trying to figure out just how the hell he ended up here.

He doesn't know how long it's been since the accident but it's pretty clear to him that it was deliberate and that he is now being held captive. He has so many questions running through his brain and absolutely no answers: Was he abducted because he is "Richard Castle" or because of his connection to the NYPD and Beckett? Do people know he's been abducted? Has someone asked for a ransom? Do people think he is dead? How are his family coping? How is Beckett coping? Have the media gone ballistic?

Castle wracks his brain, mentally filing through all the possibilities. He and the team have put so many people in jail. He is pretty confident that this is not the work of either of Castle and Beckett's biggest enemies 3XK or Senator Bracken.

For starters, Jerry Tyson has been doing a good job of convincing everyone except Castle that he is, in fact, dead. And Castle highly doubts that if Tyson had the chance again that he'd keep him alive. It also doesn't seem to be his style. Drugging, putting him in an underground cell, using cable ties and chain to restrain him rather than his 3XK signature rope – it's not dramatic enough, and doesn't have the same feel of meticulous planning and execution which leads Castle to think that whoever it is it is someone without the same finesse as Tyson.

He also highly doubts that it is Bracken. Regardless of his political aspirations, he operates on an (albeit twisted) moral code and there's just no apparent reason for him to do something like this – especially considering Beckett and Bracken's truce.

Castle thinks back to the time when he and Beckett were cuffed together. Like that, maybe this is the handiwork of some random criminal. Hopefully, like last time, that will mean someone will be able to follow the trail of clues which will lead them to Castle. He wishes he were back there right now. He'd rather stare down a tiger a hundred times over with Beckett by his side than face the darkness alone.

He sends out a silent plea - Please come find me. 

* * *

Castle hears a scraping against the door. He sees a flicker of light before everything goes dark again. He rushes to the door as fast as he can and calls out but no one answers. He finds that a metal plate has been slid through a hatch in the bottom of the door.

Debating on whether to eat the food or not, Castle's stomach rumbles, deciding for him. He's taken just a few bites, hasn't even finished the sandwich when he realizes too late that it is a very bad idea. He's suddenly spinning and then he descends into a different kind of blackness.

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So how am I going? Love it? Hate it? Reviews are always appreciated!


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